


Fire and Water

by still_intrepid



Series: Elemental [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Gen, Implied Relationships, Lowercase, Metaphors, Scribbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 05:22:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4948291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/still_intrepid/pseuds/still_intrepid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poland finds strength in her apparent contradictions.</p><p>(England fangirls from a safe distance.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire and Water

**Author's Note:**

> just something about nyo!po in terms of fire and water, as a companion piece to _Earth and Air_

the fire is her brilliance, crackling, sparkling, passionate, warm – the reason sometimes people are unable to look away, the way they find her guileless and utterly alluring.  mesmeric as a flame. she knows she’s brilliant. as for the rest, she likes feeling the fire, though it can get exhausting. 

never a dull moment.  her anger which flares hot and sudden, but generally burns itself out.  her welcome.  her bright smile flickering.

she feels more like water sometimes. like when there’s this passivity, bearing with; it’s a strength but sometimes it means putting off a moment of decision because it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient.  to go with the flow, or to avoid caring?   _is this how it happened when she let france seduce her? it isn’t fair to say so, but…_ _and f_ _rance was so carefully caring, but… but it was almost all her._ _p_ _oland drifted along, and she never said no.  (she_ _said_ _yes.) (she meant it, too.) (still she’d been refusing to examine her own mind.)_

when she led a cavalry charge, when she cut down her enemies like wheat—was that the fire or was that the flood?  ( _one thing: it was the image of the young_ _l_ _ithuania, who she admired so ardently._ )

 

fire was how she raged and blazed at the last, every last time, as over and over she was brought to an end.  she was glorious on her pyre. she knew that perfectly too, what a picture she made; she thought with pride that stung her throat, _behold_! you who averted your eyes from my misery for so long, by God you will see me now.

and once more you couldn’t look away.  you’d never tire of that sight, be it ever so conventional now.

england, watching, moved to tears and outbursts of poetry— _oh honourable and gallant! disastrous unhappy!_ _—_ clasped her hands as she stood looking out from her own equivocal isle, feeling everything (and doing nothing) as she watched poland consumed.

 

_deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me._

not  
gone.

 

water, she could find her level, breathe slow and easy, keep contentment in her heart.

it is not a contradiction to speak of hearth fires.

my heart is a forge—water will quench the steel and make it strong.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The background to the France/Poland is basically as told in [Silk](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4171302)...
> 
> English language histories have this [obsession with Poland being “gallant and unhappy”, literally in as many words, repeatedly.](http://nyolietpol.co.vu/post/101038582570/still-intrepid-the-number-of-times-poland-is)
> 
> 'deep calls to deep' - [Psalm 42](http://biblehub.com/psalms/42-7.htm)


End file.
